


Love, Naveed

by SophiexHorayne



Category: Ackley Bridge (TV)
Genre: Cal Price is just Cal Price bc i ran out of ab characters, Fluff and Angst, Love Simon AU, M/M, Naveed is Jacques, does love simon count as a slow burn?, i'm doing the lord's work here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-15 15:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15415656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiexHorayne/pseuds/SophiexHorayne
Summary: Dear Blue,I'm just like you... nobody knows I'm gayAka the Love, Simon AU the Ackley bridge fandom needs





	1. Chapter 1

** _PROLOGUE_ **

 

_Dear Blue,_

_I’m just like you. I’m just like everyone, really. I have my mum, my dad, my little sister Yazmin. And we have a dog, called Styles. He’s a black cockapoo, so it’s only right that he is named after the legend himself._

_I go to school, the same as you, Ackley Bridge. I’m in year 12, like you. I have great friends, who stick beside me no matter what._

_So, I’m just like you. And I have the same huge ass secret…_

_Nobody knows I’m gay._

_I guess you don’t have to reply, but I think we could help each other,_

_Love, Jacques. (And no that isn’t my real name.)_

 

 

_Dear Jacques,_

_I’m actually glad to see your message in my inbox. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. So, when did you know you were gay? Was it a bunch of little things or a sudden epiphany? I think one of the first realisations for me was watching One Direction’s music videos. (Don’t you dare start joking about me liking them). But there was also a key moment at our year 7 school disco. I had a girlfriend then, and we were dancing. And right there she blurts out that she’s in love with me. I got my mum to come and pick me up._

_So what about you?_

_Love, Blue_

**_ ONE _ **

 

“Hey, Haider.” Alya says, slinking into the seat beside me as the lesson starts.

I frown, look over at my classmate. I try to keep away from Alya, and something tells me that her sitting here _means_ trouble. The only times I really see her is when around Riz’. Alya is riz’ sister. And Riz is my best mate, along with Nasreen. There had always been the three of us, and since Missy moved to our city, there are four.

“Um, hi.” I say, “I was, I was actually saving that seat for Nas.”

Coyly, Alya smiles, “This won’t take long. It’s just, I have a story to tell you.”

I look at her with an eyebrow raised. I'm not sure where this is going.

“So, I used the computer in the library after you earlier.”

I frown again, “So?”

“You left your emails logged in.”

_Oh. Oh shit. Fuck._

“So?” Like playing cool will mean she hasn’t seen anything.

She leans on her hand, which is propped up on the desk, and looks up at me, “I don’t think anyone would react badly, you know.”

“It’s not…”

I’d never have logged in on a school computer unless I had to. And I did. I'd run out of data on my phone and anyway, I can’t use it at school. And I was impatient, and excited, to see if Blue had replied.

“I’ve read them all.” She gives a half laugh, “Have them here.” She takes her phone from the pocket and waves it around.

“You took _screenshots_? Of my _emails_?! Why would you do that?” I'm trying not to shout, so no one else in the class hears.

She puts her phone delicately back in her pocket. “I’m not gonna share them.” She assures, “Unless…”

“Unless what?” I hadn’t really been sure where this was going, but the realisation sets in. _Blackmail._

“Unless, you don’t get my brother a date with Missy.”

“Riz and Missy?” I blink.

“Yeah, my brother likes her. Or were you too busy emailing your-“

“Okay.” I cut her off and lean back in my chair. I swallow. “Okay.”

“Okay you’ll do it?”

I look at her. My chest feels heavy. _She knows everything_. It’s terrifying. Really, really terrifying. “I’ll do it." I mutter.

“Cool.” She grins and stands from the chair, “I’ll delete the screenshots when they’re together.” She smiles at me, but it’s more of a smirk that makes me feel like I've made the worst decision of my life (though it’s not like I had a choice).

Barely a minute later, Nas walks into the room and sits down beside me. She smiles, and I grin back like nothing is wrong at all.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey, Blue,_

_My gay awakening, shall we say, was watching a billion youtube videos of male ice skaters. I realised I didn’t just want to be them, but… well you know._

_I also promise not to joke about you liking 1D.(My dog is called Styles) But I’m not going to forget about it. Sorry about your first girlfriend, must’ve been awkward. I’m guessing you broke up with her after that??_

_I’ve never actually dated anyone. I guess people scare me._

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Love, Jacques._

_Dear Jacques,_

_You like ice skaters? Does that mean you can ice skate?!?!?!_

_Technically I never actually broke up with my girlfriend, I just ignored her and ran from her every time I saw her until I think she got the message. I’m a disaster, Blue._

_And if it’s any consolation I also love Troye Sivan’s music, not just 1D._

_So does that mean you’ve never kissed anyone?_

_Love, Blue._

_Blue,_

_Fine, no I haven’t kissed anyone. Have you???_

_From, Jacques._


	3. Chapter 3

I decide not to tell Blue that Alya knows about the emails. I don’t want to scare him off. It’s just that Blue is the best thing that has happened to me since, well since I can remember. It feels like I have nothing to hide when I'm talking to him. Like I can say anything in the world and it won’t matter because he’ll understand

I found him through the school padlet page. Someone, Blue, had posted;

_Sometimes life feels like I’m on a roller coaster. One minute I’m on top of the world, and the next, I’m at rock bottom. And nobody knows I’m gay…- Blue._

He’d left an email at the bottom. I'm not sure why, he could have gotten a bunch have hate through it. But maybe he was hoping someone may come along and say _me too buddy_. And I am that someone.

I try to ignore the whole Alya thing all together. She wouldn’t really out me and blue to the whole school, right? It would be a horrible thing to do. And yes, Alya’s pretty known for exposing people, and being _that_ snake, but, this is different. Surely, she knows this is different.

I sit with my friends at lunch time, ignoring Alya’s glare from across the canteen. I'm sitting between Nas And Riz. Across from him is their other friends, Zain and Cory and Aaron, who we sometimes sit with. The other side of Nas is Missy. They’re giggling over something.

When I've finished my lunch, I sneak my phone from my pocket, refresh my emails. Nothing. I stuffs it back in my pocket.

“What’re you looking at?” Zain asks, looking across the table at md. His eyebrows are raised.

“Huh? Nothing, just… checking my emails.”

“Why?” Zain frowns and I flush and shift in my seat.

“Asked my teacher to mail me a power-point is all.”

Zain believes me, luckily, nods and turns back to his food.

 _Imagine if Blue is Zain._ It could be anyone after all. Maybe he wanted to know what I was doing on my phone because he was wondering whether I'm Jacques. Maybe. But really Blue could be anyone in our school year. And I don't even know most of them. Blue is probably someone I've never even spoken too.

 

After lunch, the drama club are working on learning lines for their school play in the hall. I sit near the back, reading a line then closing my eyes and repeating it. It’s sort of distracting though, with Missy rehearsing on stage with Chloe Voyle. They’re both good at acting, and they’re loud and dramatic and it makes me want to watch them. Cory’s brother is up there too, he’s pretty good when he tries.

Someone sits beside me and makes me jump. I look over at Alya.

“Thought you hated theatre.” I say.

“Watching out for my brother aren’t I.”

I close my book with a soft thud. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You haven’t set them up yet.” Alya says.

“You asked me yesterday!” I reply, “And I’m not doing it."

I watch Alya’s face fall. It’s like she’s turned a steely, angry grey. “What? So I’ll just post the screenshots, shall I?”

“No. You can’t do that.”

“Oh, but I can, Naveed. And I will.” She stares at me, like she is showing that she’s being serious.

Defeated, I lean against the wall behind me. “Alright. But I don’t see why Riz can’t ask her out himself.”

Alya looks at me with a pointed expression, “Naveed, you know Riz. He can’t do anything like that by himself.”

I shrug. I fiddle with the book in my hands, flicking through the pages absentmindedly. “I’ll do what I can.”

Satisfied, Alya gets up and walks away. I don't look where she's going.

I feel like I've been backed into a corner, and the only way out is agreeing Alya Nawaz’ blackmail. I feel awful. I can’t concentrate on his lines. I look around the hall. Across the hall stands Cory, leaning against the wall, watching his brother on stage. He is sort of beautiful, effortlessly so. It’s like Cory can feel me watching him because he looks over and catches my eye.

I wave shyly, embarrassed to have been caught so easily. I keep watching him though, as he steps away from the wall and walks over to me. He reaches me, sits down against the wall next to me.

“Hey.” Cory says. He gestures down at the book in my hands, “Learning your lines?”

“Well I’m trying.” I reply. I look up and over at the stage again, “It’s sort of difficult when there’s so much going on.”

Cory smiles, and says nothing for a moment. Then he takes my book and flicks through to the first bookmarked page. He skims the text.

“What the fuck is it even going on about?” He asks.

I let out a small laugh, take the book back. “It’s about dreams. How you do things in them you wouldn’t usually do.” To be fair, I wish Miss Keane didn’t choose Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream as the school play, wish it was something cooler, like a musical or something.

“What would you do?” Cory says. He’s leaning his head on the wall as he looks at him. It makes my heart skip a beat. “If you were in a dream world like that.”

I shrug even though I have a lot of things in mind. I could come out, in a dream world, and not need to worry about the consequences.

Cory just smiles softly down at me. “I think there’s a few things I’d like to do too.” Like he knows I have some idea but doesn’t push me for answers. So I don't push either.

we sit together quietly for a while, watching Jordan, Cory’s brother, on the stage.

“He’s good, isn’t he?” I say. Because Jordan, Jordan’s quite something, really. Everyone knows he’s an artist, but no one really takes enough care to realise that he can act too. It’s like he isn’t scared of anything when he’s on the stage. I wish I felt that too, on and off stage.

“Yeah.” Cory says. I give him a sideway glance. There’s so much pride in his eyes when he watches his brother. It’s beautiful.

When Jordan leaves the stage, Cory stands, dusts his trousers off as though the floor was dirty.

“Where are you going?” I ask. Maybe I'm enjoying Cory’s company. So what?

“Got rugby practice.” Cory replies, “But I’ll see you around, yeah?”

I look up at him, nod and grin. I turn back to my book. Read a line and close my eyes, repeating it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter is okay!! I've been trying to work out which ab character could be Cal Price but I'm pretty sure I've run  
> out of male characters soooo, Cal is just Cal and honestly it's what he deserves (I love Cal a lot ok my underrated fave).
> 
> Anyway hope you liked this chapter, should be another one soon :)


	4. Chapter 4

_To Jacques,_

_In answer to your question, I have kissed some girls. But I’ve never kissed a boy and I imagine it would be far better than all the straight kisses._

_Anyway, I feel like we’re already getting far too personal. Or I’m just weirdly shy and embarrassed at this topic._

_You ignored me over the ice skating thing. Was that intentional? Because I’d love to know if you’re good at ice skating. I’ve never been before. My dad would never take me and, I don’t know J, it seems sort of terrifying._

_I hope you’re having a good day, J,_

_From, Blue._

_Dear Blue,_

_Sorry I didn’t answer the ice skating thing. I guess I felt a bit embarrassed too. But yeah I’ve had lessons since I was seven so I guess I’m good? I guess it could be scary at first, but it’s great fun too. Maybe one day, I’ll take you. Maybe._

_Hearing about your dad makes me wonder about your family. It’s not like you have to say but, do you have any siblings? I told you I have a sister._

_Hope we can talking soon,_

_Jacques_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, I know the first few parts WERE in third person but I got annoyed writing like that when the actual simon vs book is written in first. I think it makes it a bit easier?

When I get home, I can hear my mum and my sister in the kitchen. My mum’s trying to teach Yaz all the family recipes. I think it’s going well. Yaz enjoys it anyway, and it means I get loaded with taste testing and I hardly mind.

I call out a hello and hurry up to my bedroom to check my emails. I sling my bag at the bottom of my bed and take my laptop from my desk. I flop on my bed with it and turn it on. I’m still thinking about the whole Alya situation. I guess I don’t have a choice but to get Riz and Missy together. But I don’t even think they’re right for each other. Or maybe I am just blind and too focused on myself, and Blue. Just like Alya said.

But when my emails load, Blue has replied. And I find myself absorbed, hooked on every word he has typed.

And I sort of forget about Alya.

 

I remember the next day though. When we reach the school and I walk in with Nas and Riz and Missy. Nas and Missy are talking, and when I look at Riz, Riz is looking at them.

“You alright mate?” I ask, nudging him gently in the side.

He looks at me, “Yeah. Fine.” He grins.

Riz is incredibly handsome. And it’s not like I’d never noticed before. His cheek bones and jawline are sort of to die for, and his woeful brown eyes probably make straight boys feel giddy. I think he sort of looks like a lion, handsome and wise and strong.

“Do you… like her?” I question quietly, nodding my head to where Missy is putting some books into her locker.

“Oh.” Riz glances at the floor, bites his lip, then looks up at me, “Maybe.”

I’d never known him to be so flustered and embarrassed. And I _know_ Riz. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know him this well.

“Why didn’t you say?”

Riz shrugs his shoulders and glances over as Missy shuts her locker and turns the key, “Everyone likes her. Besides, I thought you’d have noticed by now.”

Maybe I should have noticed. Maybe there’s a lot that I _should_ have noticed.

I’m thinking about Blue again though, as we continue down the corridors to registration. And every boy I pass makes me wonder if I’m walking past him.

 

I don’t think Missy likes Riz back. And I don’t know how to get her to like him. And I don’t know how to tell Riz that Missy doesn’t like him. And I have no clue where that leaves me with Alya.

At lunch I watch Riz watching Missy. I wonder how to get them on a date together. _I don’t know how to set people up._

“Naveed?”

A voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I realise I’ve been staring at Riz maybe a little too long. I look away, over to the source of the voice. Cory.

“Hmm?” I blink. He must have asked me something because he looks like he’s waiting for an answer.

“Chips?” Cory casts his gaze down to the neglected chips on my lunch tray. Then he looks back up at him with a pleading expression no one could ever say no to.

I smile, push my tray towards him a little so he can reach them.

“Thanks.” He says, taking a handful of chips into his hands.

I pull the tray back over to me.

“Hey, um.”

I look back up at Cory. He’s sort of cute. I guess. “Yeah?”

“Is there any chance of me joining that Shakespeare play?”

I raise an eyebrow at him, “You want to act?”

“No, not, not necessarily. But I could do backstage?”

“I’m sure they could use their help.” I reply with a shrug, “Ask Miss Keane she’d probably say yes.”

He smiles, nods. Then he continues to eat my chips.

 

After lunch, I end up walking to class with Aaron. I don’t speak to him that much. But he’s fine. And nice. And I know he’s on the rugby team with Cory.

“Hey, Naveed, you know Missy?” He asks slowly.

I nod and look up at him, “Yeah, what about her?”

“I really like her.”

I almost stop walking, but I keep it together. Why does everyone have to like Missy? Why does everyone have to like Missy when Alya is on my back, telling me exactly who she should be with. I feel like a puppet, and Alya’s the puppeteer.

“Oh.” Is all I can say.

“Do you think I should ask her out?”

“No.” I say almost too quickly.

“Why? Do you like her?”

“No, no I-“ I almost laugh. Maybe it would be easier if I _did_ like Missy. Maybe it would be easier if I was like _everyone else_. “No, she has a boyfriend.” It’s the first thing I can come up with. And it’s a lie. And I hate it. But I think of the emails and Alya, and I think of Blue and I know I have to lie. “Where she used to live.”

Aaron is quiet. I glance at him. He looks crushed. I may just be the worst human on earth.

“Sorry mate.” I tell him. But he doesn’t know how much I mean it, really.

“It’s alright.” He says.

But it’s not. Nothing is alright and I feel like I’m ruining everyone’s lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this update, I'm thinking that next imma have to have some Naveed and nas scenes bc they're v v lacking here. Also I put Cal in the tags and I haven't even mentioned him yet oof


	6. Chapter 6

**__ **

_Hey Jacques,_

_It’s octoberrrrrr!!!!!! That means it’s basically Halloween. I’m super excited, J. I have a great costume this year. Have you got a costume idea? Halloween’s always been exciting to us, although it was my mother who always made our costumes and helped us decorate and took us trick or treating. Now it’s just my dad it’s not so un at home, but there are always parties to go to so it’s still great._

_What are you doing for Halloween J? You celebrate it, right?_

_Love, Blue._

_Hey Blue,_

_My family don’t go all out on Halloween. But me and my sister would always go trick or treating. And I may have a costume in mind…but that would be telling. I gotta say blue it’s pretty cute hearing you so excited about something. I’m imagining you smiling and talking really hurriedly over your enthusiasm. Is that creepy? I guess it is considering I don’t know what you look like. Do I get any clues?_

_Love, Jacques_

_Jacques,_

_I’m not sure about clues. There’s only so much one could say before you’d work out who I am. I’ve already told you I have a brother. And I’ve told you I’m a closet 1D stan and that I’m in love with Troye Sivan. You also know I adore Halloween._

_J, idk what more you want from me tbh_

_(And yeah J it’s a little creepy)_

_From Blue_

_Blue,_

_I guess you’re right about the clues. A part of me is dying to know who you are but, I also don’t want to know. You know? And I guess I do already know quite a bit about you. Maybe we should keep it like that._

_I just want to keep talking to you Blue. You’re the only person I can be my true self around. And I need that,_

_Yours, Jacques_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I hate writing the email parts already sjdjdjd I can't even write my own emails let alone someone else's.


	7. Chapter 7

The play is really getting under way at school. I’ve got most my lines memorised. Miss Keane seems pretty impressed with me. Maybe that’s because I’m actually trying, unlike everyone else (besides Missy, she’s amazing too). It’s just that I feel actually good at this. The acting, the performing. And I’m nervous but I’ll know I’ll be okay because acting is easy. It’s just pretending to be another person. And I guess I’m used to that.

One of the other few people who actually put effort into this play is Cal Price. He does the music, mostly, plays the piano, conducts us or whatever. But he prompts everyone on their lines too. Every time someone messes up an obvious line we tend to catch one another’s eyes from across the stage and down to where he sits on the piano talk. We have this kind of shared connection. I think. We just sort of know what we’re thinking. I kind of hope he’s Blue.

Because Cal is cute. And sort of strangely pretty. His blonde fringe flopping sideways over his face. He has bright blue eyes, I noticed once. And that would make sense, right? Blue having blue eyes. I watch him strike the intro to a song on the piano. For a moment I almost forget the words. In fact, I nearly forget the whole song.

 

After rehearsals, I help the backstage crew put away the props and the backdrops. I’m placing a hat on a coat stand when someone startles me from behind.

“Got anywhere with my brother yet?”

I jump. Like literally jump. The whole coat stand gets knocked as I do so. It crashes against the chair and the wall beside it. The few people in the prop room glance over. I see Cory rushing over, helping me pick the stand and the hats and coats back up from before. I glance at him. He has this little mole below his eye. Maybe I lose my breath when I notice it. “Thanks.” I manage to stutter.

He just grins, turns away to the costumes he was sorting before.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Alya says, softly. But there’s no point. The room is quiet, spare for the shuffling of miscellaneous objects. A whisper would be heard. “Haider, you’re gonna run out of time.”

“I’ll think of something, okay?” I promise her.

She looks sort of uncertain. Then she turns and walks out the room. She doesn’t even say goodbye. I look away from the door and realise Cory is the only one left in here. He’s hanging the last couple of costumes on the rack.

“What was all that about?” He asks.

“Oh. Nothing.” I tell him. I pick my school bag from the corner of the room. Everyone else’s bags have gone now, besides Cory’s red rucksack.

“Didn’t sound like nothing.” Cory comments. But he doesn’t push to know what it was really about, “Do you fancy her?”

He’s got this cheeky look on his face. It sort-of brightens the whole room. I almost laugh and shake my head. If only it was that easy. If only I had a crush on Alya. But I don’t. Because I’m gay. Gay. Gaaayyyyy.

“Really?” Cory picks his bag up too, slings it gracefully over his left shoulder.

“Yeah.” I say, trying to come up with a plausible reason for Alya to speak to me like that, “It’s just stuff about her brother.”

“Okay.” Cory walks past me, to the door way. He pauses there and looks back at me, “I’ll see you around , yeah?”

I smile and nod. “Yeah. Yeah.”

He turns and disappears through the door.

For a while I stand there. In the prop room. I still haven’t worked out how to get Riz and Missy on a date. They have nothing in common.

Eventually I walk out the room.

 

Nas is waiting for me outside the school. We’re walking home.

“You took your time.” She says.

“Mishap in the prop room.” I tell her. It’s not lying. “I knocked all the coats and hats over.”

“Oh.” She laughs, nudges me gently.

“Hey, did you know Riz likes Missy?”

She stops giggling. I think she nearly stops walking. “Really?”

“Yeah. And, what with Riz being our best friend, I thought we should set them up.”

“Why?” She almost sneers the words. “They have nothing in common.”

I shrug, “Well, maybe opposites attract.”

She doesn’t say anything. I look at her. She holds her bag straps with both hands.

“So, you don’t want to help me set them up?” I thought Nas could help. I’m rubbish at this kind of stuff but, Nas reads romance stuff all the time, fanfiction mostly, and magazines, but she must have some ideas.

“No, Naveed. I think it’s just meddling where we shouldn’t.” Sher starts to walk faster. Like she’s storming away from me. We never argue. I can’t face that thought.

“Okay. I’m sorry.” I call, catching up with her. “We won’t meddle.”

Maybe _we_ won’t. But I have no choice, really.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this was a bit meh but next chapter is more Nas and Nav and also more of Naveed's dog bc he's barely featured yet sdjfjg  
> Anyway Naveed being in love with Cal is honestly a mood and I'm glad if I could choose any book character to keep here it was Cal bc I really am in love with him  
> But I hope you enjoyed this and unless I somehow update before Friday, there probably won't be an update until sat 11th bc I'm going on holiday this Friday.
> 
> But yeah enjoy this fine Tuesday, i'm scared for ep 9 tonight lol

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, despite my other 38485 fics I need to finish, I've started another because I had an idea and this fandom needs this lmao. The chapters will probably be kinda short and idk if I'm more following the book or the film bc they're slightly different but I guess imma combine them. Also I put the prologue in with the first chapter bc otherwise the numbers mess up lmao. 
> 
> So, hope you enjoyed this first part, I'll be back with more soon, probably. xx


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